Petersfield Bicycle Buddies

30/10/2025

If you are in that area we thoroughly recommend doing this.

🚴‍♂️ Free Bike Marking Event @ Waterlooville Town Centre 🚴‍♂️

Hello everyone! 👋
Your local policing team will be in Waterlooville Town Centre, under the bandstand, on Saturday 1st November 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Get your bike marked for FREE 🚲
No booking needed – just bring your bike and turn up!
Let’s work together to keep our community safe. We’d love to see you there! 🚔 👮🏼

05/10/2025

🚴‍♀️ IOW 2025 – What a Ride! 🚴‍♂️

Our Petersfield Bicycle Buddies annual trip to the Isle of Wight was an unforgettable cycling adventure! 🌞

A new base at Island Riding Centre , Newport, gave us easy access to stunning routes across the island — from coastal climbs to quiet back lanes and bridleways. With four ride groups (off-road plus three road options), there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Highlights? The Needles, Military Road, sweeping sea views, great cafés, a few surprises (including a missing ferry!), and plenty of smiles all round.

It was the perfect mix of challenge, camaraderie and cake! 🍰🚲

Read the full trip report, see the routes, and relive the fun here 👇
👉 https://www.pbbuddies.org.uk/rides/iow-2025

20/05/2025

We were so pleased to meet Mike Waddington for Petersfield's Shine Radio ahead of our regular Tuesday group ride today.
Chris and Jeremy, the leaders for todays ride explain what we are all about.
We are open to anyone (over 18) on any bike.
Social Cycling at its Best !

https://shineradio.uk/2025/05/petersfield-bike-buddies-ride-again-every-week-in-groups/

Petersfield Bike Buddies ride again – every week, in groupsMay 20, 2025 | Audio stories, Local news | 0 comments The Petersfield Bike Buddies are quite a sight in fluorescent gear leaving the Town Square and down Sheep Street for Tuesday’s 25 miler!They offer cycling in a group, with a leader an...

06/05/2025

Love your ⛑️ 🪖

17/04/2025

🚲 What a night!
Our 'Is an e-bike for me?' event with PECAN was a fantastic success—huge thanks to everyone who joined us!

💡 If you couldn't make it, no worries—you can catch up with the presentation slides and loads of helpful resources over on our website.

https://www.pbbuddies.org.uk/e-bikes

And to all our lovely attendees: we’d love to see you out with PBB soon, enjoying a relaxed ride—on any kind of bike! 🧡🚴‍♂️

15/04/2025

Our regular Sunday rides are continuing and with the weather improving are reacquainting ourselves with routes we tend to leave for warmer and drier weather.

This week 7 riders departed Petersfield Square for a 23 mile ride out to West Meon and back over Old Wi******er Hill.

It was a fairly quiet town as we made our way along our usual southerly route down The Causeway, with bright blue skies above, birds twittering and a debatable need for trousers and heavy jackets / multiple layers with the onset of Spring.

However as we left the town and into the country we felt the effects of the chilly south westerly gusts of wind, definitely still a need for top layers! Trousers, not so much, about half the group were in shorts today.

As we made our way to Oxenbourne the fields were full of Ewes and Lambs with one being a newborn as it was very wobbly on its legs. Approaching East Meon via Frogmore, we met the first of many teeth rattling and derrière punishing sections of tarmac. Heading out to West Meon there were many small birds flitting around, including Blue T**s and Green Finches, not to mention Birds of Prey circling above and even a rabbit that ran alongside the group for a short stretch before it disappeared in the hedgerow.

The Cuppacheno Cafe was quiet and we had the place to ourselves for a bit until it began filling up with dog walkers and other cyclists. We all enjoyed refreshments and there was a great deal of chatter/banter on a wide range of topics.

Departing the cafe we headed round to Station Road and began the climb up Old Wi******er Hill. By now the blue skies had largely disappeared and it was notably chillier at the top of the hill, however that didn’t stop us admiring the views of Meon Springs below us and far over to Portsdown Hill and The Solent in the distance.

Heading along the top of the hill we were given a bit of a welcome push by the wind, pausing briefly near the Sustainability Centre it looked a very popular destination for the many road cyclists out and about.

Arriving at Hyden Cross junction we joined the South Downs Way track heading across the top of Hyden and Tegdown Hills. Slowly but steadily we made our way along the loose pot holed surface, which according to one member was apparently like a Billiard Table as far as off road surfaces go.

Arriving at Butser Hill we could see many paragliders taking advantage of the strong gusts of wind launching from the northern side of the hill, they definitely needed their insulated covers today!

We headed down Harvesting Lane and round towards Ramsdean, the new Lamb now resting with its Mum as we passed, before arriving back at The Square where we said our goodbyes and returned home.

Great ride out today with some challenging ‘undulations’ and road/track surfaces. Great banter as always and not too much complaining about sore back sides, even though a few of us were suffering despite suitable padding!

08/03/2025

We don't always have to cycle, today 40 members of the Petersfield Bicycle Buddies got together at the Petersfield Golf club for our Spring Social. With lots of friendly chat, and scrumptious food and drinks.
We even gave out prizes (including Jelly Babies) for some of this year's best photos.
Join us and enjoy social cycling at its best.

01/02/2025

Petersfield Bicycle Buddies have organised two CYCLE REFRESHER COACHING sessions on Saturday March 22nd open to all.

Aimed at anyone who feels a little uncomfortable perhaps when cycling in busy places or on faster roads or wants to brush up on their skills.

For more info and to grab one of the very limited places please go to our website and complete the form. https://www.pbbuddies.org.uk/coaching

19/01/2025

14 riders set off from the Festival Hall for a 15 mile ride through Burition, round the Hartings and back for coffee at the Plump Duck.

Splitting into 2 groups of 7, we made our way past a very quiet Heath (not even the birds seemed to be awake) and up The Causeway, almost but not quite timing it right not to have to stop for the roadworks.

Tackling the first of several ‘undulations’ going up Bolinge Hill we headed into Buriton and round to Nurstead Rocks, thankfully the South Harting Road was still quiet with no traffic.

Dropping down towards Sunnyside the temperature noticeably became a lot fresher and we saw our first Buzzard of the ride sat on a branch above the road, he then swooped low over to another branch as we cycled below.

More undulations took us to Torberry Hill and round to South Harting where we saw a Fawn followed by a Doe bounce across the road in front of us, before dropping down to Nyewood where we turned right for Weeks’ Common.

There was some discussion amongst the group as to why we were going up such a bloomin’ big hill towards East Harting! Chatter such as ‘because that’s the route’, ‘it’s something different’ and to ‘embrace the challenge’ passed amongst the group members, who mostly were on e-bikes anyway!

Steadily plodding up the hill, which really wasn’t that big, we stopped to chat in East Harting by the phone box in a ‘let’s pause here, or you’ll blink and miss East Harting’ moment.

Making our way back to South Harting the lead group headed back up towards Torberry Hill before dropping down through West Harting and round past the Reindeer pastures, with another Buzzard and some Red Kites swooping around, before tackling the final undulation up to Nurstead Rocks again. Passing the Heath on Sussex Road it was great to see a bustling and much busier Heath with lots of people walking, fishing, dogs running around and the birds now fully awake and engaged in their own chatter.

Arriving at the Plump Duck we were surprised to see the second group already deep in conversation with refreshments. Turns out that having followed us round as far as South Harting, which they knew as they could see our tyre tracks left behind after puddles etc, they then had gone round along the main road back to Nurstead thereby getting significantly ahead of the lead group who had been meandering through the lanes behind West Harting etc.

After the usual chatter, a great deal of merriment, coffee and sausage rolls it was time to head for home and get properly warmed up again, despite being under cover it was still a bit on the cold side!

A great ride today not too chilly overall really and great to see the abundant British wildlife!

30/12/2024

10 riders set off for West Meon from a grey dull Petersfield and into the murky mists of the Meon Valley.

Setting off at a gentle pace to warm up we disappeared into the mist at the start of Ramsdean Lane and didn’t emerge again until a couple of hours later when heading up Ridge Common Lane!

Visibility wasn’t too bad initially as we cycled past Twenty ways Farm, past Giants Cottage and into East Meon. Pausing at the Izzac Walton to regroup an Egret was spotted flying out of the river bed and the usual chatter was now in full flow. We carried on towards Drayton into much thicker mist, which was beginning to make us think we were on Dartmoor or the Brecon Beacons, maybe even the Barrow Downs outside The Shire, not East Hants!

Arriving in West Meon (more Egrets spotted flying above the River Meon) with many of us covered in water droplets dripping off helmets, glasses, noses and in beards, we found we were the only ones at the cafe. Making ourselves comfy inside, we all enjoyed a hot drink with bacon sandwiches and sausage rolls warming us up. As always there was much chatter in the cafe which continued on the return leg back into East Meon and more or less back to Peef!

Passing through East Meon it looked like the mist might actually be lifting but it wasn’t to be and we remained shrouded in mist all through Ramsdean and Stroud, finally riding out of the mist heading up Ridge Common Lane.

Saying our goodbyes at The Cricketers in Steep we headed our separate ways for home, some down Bell Hill some through Steep down to The Harrow and beyond.

Nice to be out and about in the fresh air after the Christmas festivities, thanks to all who came along braving the mist!

23/12/2024

3 riders met at Sheet Village green for a mucky 24 mile ride up to Hogmoor & back.

Setting off it wasn’t too chilly or windy so good progress was made up to Liss. Pausing at the start of the old railway we chatted about how this used to look back in WW2. We then made our way up through the mud to the ranges.

Passing through the gates, more mud awaiting, we turned right up the first set of ‘undulations’ of the ride, then followed the pylons and along the tracks to the tower where we enjoyed crystal clear views across Champneys over into Surrey towards Haslemere and also West Sussex & Harting Down and beyond. Much discussion was had over walking/cycling to The Deers Hut along the trails below.

Heading back down we could feel the first chilly gusts of wind picking up, luckily they didn’t slow us down too much. As we headed round Woolmer we went to look at the pond glistening in the winter sun, as we did a young Buzzard flew down in front of us and up into a branch overhanging the track, fully expecting it to fly off again we were surprised when it stayed put and cautiously watched us pass below, its head cocked to one side trying to work out who/what we were.

Arriving at Hogmoor cafe we enjoyed a well earned coffee/cake/bacon bap sitting amongst numerous elves also enjoying warm refreshments. Venturing back out into the cold, the weather had gone from sunny to very overcast with stronger gusts of wind. Returning along the ranges woodland trail we accumulated yet more mud and skirted around fallen branches before rejoining the Woolmer track and over the A3 onto Longmoor.

Over the bridge we saw our second Buzzard, this time a mature male with its colourful plumage sitting on the ground investigating something before flying up into the trees.

We arrived back at the gates after passing many people out walking and were nearly dismounted by a group of dogs running around out of control, the cattle were quite happily chewing on the grass and didn’t seem bothered by all the hullabaloo at all.

Returning to Liss via Warren Road and The Mint we passed runners wearing the smallest tops imaginable and running leggings, how they weren’t freezing is beyond me! Heading down Andlers Ash we turned into very strong head winds along the A3, but were soon back into shelter passing Burntash cottages before arriving back in a sunny Sheet.

A great ride out, with all the usual conversation and company. Certainly got very mucky as advertised, easily hosed off though. Unfortunately the wind wasn’t necessarily at our backs today, though whenever is it on a bike!

Have a very merry Christmas! 🎄

05/12/2024

This report combines two rides with one objective, visiting the Langham Brewery at Lodsworth.
Malcolm lead one, using a train to Haslemere and back to Petersfield, Martin led a longer circular ride from Petersfield. One common view from both rides was how they both traverse some of the most beautiful countryside we have at our disposal with extremely quiet lanes and generally good road surfaces, one of the best if not the best ride in the PBB locker.Haslemere station was a slight challenge as the Lift from the platform was out of order (not unusual!).The next challenge was a 12% 'slope' just outside the station that Malcolm was somewhat concerned about, but with lowest gears and max power selected the cry of 'was that it ?' was all he could here at the top.Its undulating glorious NT countryside from here, then a fabulous downhill almost all the way to the brewery.
No coffee stop enroute but of course with this ride leader a church stop - St James in Selham. Two interesting facts about this church. Whilst the building mainly dates back to the 11 century and later it is thought that the church door structure is Saxon between 750AD and 900AD. I wonder if it will survive another 1275+ years. Secondly the church had a vicar in the 19th century who was in post for 57 years. A trading merchant by profession who made a lot of money he needed to acquire a more elevated social status to marry a descendant of Edward 1 so became a Reverend. By all accounts a rather colourful character who enjoyed partying, hunting and goodness know what else

The groups arrived almost together for a very informative brewery tour, tastings and pizzas.

A delayed departure for the round trip, no not because the beer flowed but because just as we were about to leave one rider forgot he had not received his pizza so the ovens had to be reheated - no name as what happens on a ride of course stays within the ride. Arrival time back in Petersfield was later than planned and in twilight.

On Malcolm's ride back we paused at Cocking station to discuss the potential for the tunnels just south of here to perhaps one day be opened to link up with the Centurion way (currently it finishes at West Dean), strangely overnight I got a Facebook link to pictures inside one of these tunnels (linked below). I also see that in 2025 an extension (not through tunnel) to the Centurion way is planned to open, so one to plan for next year!We briefly mislaid some of our group, but it was just a stop to pick up eggs from a gate near South Harting.
Very enjoyable day 26 and 36 miles covered.